Riga on foot, Latvia by day trip.

The Gauja valley castles, the crosses over the Lithuanian border, a boardwalk through black bog water, Rundāle’s gilded rooms, the Old Town on foot and the pine coast at Jūrmala.

★★★★★★★★★★4.9· 108 travellers on the top Sigulda run

Sigulda’s castles sit 50 minutes up the Gauja. Rundāle’s palace and the Hill of Crosses share the road south, and most coaches take both in one run. These three carry the most travellers; the full list splits the rest by how long you want to be gone.

• 1Private Sigulda, Turaida, and Gauja National Park Tourfrom $130
• 2Sigulda and Turaida Legends Tourfrom $127
• 3Private Full-Day Trip to Turaida, Sigulda, and Cesisfrom $356

The valley day

Turaida, Sigulda and the Gauja gorge

3–8h· from $120· cable car

Three castles within a few kilometres of each other, a cable car strung over the gorge, and sandstone caves down at river level where the walls carry four centuries of carved initials.

The palace day

Rundāle’s gilded rooms, Bauska’s ruin

4–8h· from $47· indoors if it rains

Rastrelli built Rundāle for a duke before he built the Winter Palace. French gardens, a gold throne room, and Bauska’s castle ruin standing over two rivers on the way back.

The border run

Two countries and a hill of crosses

5–8h· from $47· border crossing

Over the Lithuanian border stands a mound carrying more than a hundred thousand crosses. Departures leave Riga early and are usually paired with Rundāle to make the drive worth it.

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Three price bands, end to end. An Old Town walk costs about what two coffees do; a private car to the palaces sits at the far end of the scale.

Under $50

52 tours

Old Town walks, the canal boat, a balsam tasting, an hour at the shooting range.

• 1Riga Old Town walking tourfrom $18
• 2Latvian food tasting tour at Riga Central marketfrom $44
• 3Discover Riga Bike Tourfrom $47

$50–150

92 tours

The full-day group runs: the crosses, Rundāle, the bog at sunrise, Jūrmala and the coast.

• 1Husky Sledding or Wheel Kart Tourfrom $130
• 2Hill of Crosses & Jelgava Highlightsfrom $54
• 3Riga Gun Range: shooting with Winchester, Glock17, & Kalashnikovfrom $66

$150 and up

98 tours

Private drivers, husky teams and small-group days that reach places coaches skip.

• 12 countries! Hill of Crosses, Rundale Palace and Bauska castlefrom $157
• 2Husky Dog Sledding Tour From Rigafrom $174
• 3Group Day trip to Rundale Palace, Hill of Crosses & Bauska Castlefrom $151

The tours more travellers take than anything else in Latvia, and what earns each one its day.

1

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.5 · 304 reviews

Riga Old Town walking tour

Riga Old Town walking tour with a great guide, free sights, and an easy route through Riga’s landmarks, legends, and best orientation.

From · $18

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2 ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.5 · 241 reviews Latvian food tasting tour at Riga Central market from $44 3 ★★★★★★★★★★ 5.0 · 225 reviews 2 countries! Hill of Crosses, Rundale Palace and Bauska castle from $157 4 ★★★★★★★★★★ 5.0 · 166 reviews Discover Riga Bike Tour from $47 5 ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.9 · 155 reviews Husky Sledding or Wheel Kart Tour from $130 6 ★★★★★★★★★★ 5.0 · 149 reviews Hill of Crosses & Jelgava Highlights from $54 7 ★★★★★★★★★★ 5.0 · 148 reviews Riga Gun Range: shooting with Winchester, Glock17, & Kalashnikov from $66 8 ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.9 · 140 reviews Hill of Crosses, Guided Rundale Palace & Bauska Castle from $130

Cathedrals and castle ruins turn up all over the Baltics. These three belong to this stretch of the map and nowhere else.

Lithuania, sold from Riga

The Hill of Crosses

Crosses have been carried onto this mound since the 1831 uprising. Soviet bulldozers cleared it three times and people replaced them within days; nobody counts properly any more, and estimates run past a hundred thousand. It sits in northern Lithuania, two hours down the highway, which is why Riga sells it as a day out.

1. 12 countries! Hill of Crosses, Rundale Palace and Bauska castle★★★★★★★★★★ 5.0 · 225 reviews
2. 2Hill of Crosses & Jelgava Highlights★★★★★★★★★★ 5.0 · 149 reviews
3. 3Hill of Crosses, Guided Rundale Palace & Bauska Castle★★★★★★★★★★ 4.9 · 140 reviews

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Sixteen corners

The Sigulda Bobsleigh Track

Built in 1986 for the Soviet team and still on the World Cup circuit, the Sigulda track opens its ice to visitors on public days. You ride behind a driver through all sixteen corners with the gorge on one side. Winter runs are the real thing; the wheeled summer version is a different, gentler animal.

1. 1Latvia Bobsleigh and luge track ride experience★★★★★★★★★★ 4.5 · 8 reviews
2. 2Bobsleigh – Truly Unique Winter Adventure!★★★★★★★★★★ 4.0 · 6 reviews
3. 3From Riga to Sigulda Bobsleigh Ride with Pickup and Drop Off★★★★★★★★★★ 5.0 · 4 reviews

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Since the 1750s

Rīgas Melnais Balzams

A 45% herbal bitter in a black ceramic bottle, built from roots, berries and bark to a recipe kept in the city since the 1750s. Almost nobody drinks it neat: it goes into coffee, or blackcurrant juice, or over ice cream. Tastings run in Old Town cellars and rarely last an hour.

1. 1Shared Activity Riga Black Balsam 18th Century Degustation★★★★★★★★★★ 5.0 · 9 reviews
2. 2Riga Black Balsam XO Tasting Exclusive Flavor in Limited Edition★★★★★★★★★★ 5.0 · 7 reviews
3. 3Old Town Legends & Black Balsam Tasting★★★★★★★★★★ 5.0 · 6 reviews

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